The utilization of cheese towers for the formation of cheese in the form of blocks has long been known in the art.
Primarily, curd and attendant whey has, after being stirred or cut into an easily transportable particulate consistency and size, been introduced into vertical cheese towers where the gravitational effect causes curd compaction resulting in whey removal, and the finally compacted, generally rectangularly formed curd body is cut into desired block sizes. The aspect of such formation has not been, to date, utilized for the formation of cheeses smaller than the standard 40# block or to cheeses of shapes other than rectangular. Similarly, tower formation has relied primarily on the effect of gravity for whey extraction and curd compaction.
With the cheese tower disclosed herein, the provided curd and whey mixture is introduced to the upper end of a perforate, low friction, cheese formation tower and through a combination of gravity, differential pressure/relative vacuum and vibration, whey is more rapidly removed to more rapidly provide the desired curd consistency which, at the same time, permits the production of smaller and varied cross-sectional shapes of cheeses.
As stated in the prior art statement the primary previous patents are to Brockwell, et al and Fassbender, et al.
Cheese towers have been primarily utilized in the formation of blocks of cheese and have not been directed to the formation of cheeses of horn, round or other shape variations smaller than the aforementioned 40# block.
Through the utilization of combinations of relative vacuum/differential pressure, gravity and vibratory techniques, along with low friction material, the applicants have provided a system which permits the consistent and economic production of smaller and potentially complex curd bodies in whey free condition and desired formed structure.
It is therefore an object of the applicants' invention to provide a cheese tower for the production of cheeses of various shapes which are smaller in cross section than the standard 40# block.
It is a further object of the applicants' invention to provide a cheese tower and delivery combination for the receipt of curd and whey and the removal of the whey such that the resultant curd body is provided in useable condition in a desired cross sectional shape and length.
It is a further object of the applicants' invention to provide a cheese tower that ensures proper removal of whey from a curd and whey combination to provide a product that is removeable from the tower and packageable in a desired shape and length.
It is still a further object of the applicants' invention to provide a cheese tower for whey removal from a whey and curd combination and to provide a cheese body of desired length and cross section in prepackaged condition.
These and other objects of the invention will more fully appear from a consideration of the accompanying disclosure and drawings.